Having left the drama program at the University of Arizona to pursue his acting career, his first big break came playing the title role opposite Lauren Bacall in The Fan (1981). He later came to the attention of director James Cameron, and was cast in many Cameron movies, including The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989). He starred with Charlie Sheen in Navy SEALS (1990) before turning in several television performances in the 1990s, including Asteroid (1997) and The Magnificent Seven (1998).